Work Text:
Izuku hid behind a poorly built snowman, while Shoto aggressively threw an inhuman amount of deadly snowballs his way.
“Okay! Okay-! I surrend-!”
A snowball flew across the snowy battlefield smacking Izuku right in his already freezing cold face, before he could acquiesce to his defeat.
“Oh, sorry, Midoriya. I thought your plan was to strike me when you came out of hiding.”
Izuku chuckled, wiping what was left of the packed ball of snow off his forehead. Shoto dug his hands into the two foot deep glistening snow, taking a final scoop.
Izuku figured it’d be heading his way, shielding himself with his palms as fast as possible. It took him only a few moments to uncover his face, realizing the cold sensation wasn’t heading towards him, but straight towards Shoto..?
With scrunched eyes and a face just as numb from the cold as Izuku’s, he used his fully drenched gloves to ineptly clean his face. Somehow managing to miss small patches of snow, good thing they’d melt in no time.
On seeing Izuku’s raised eyebrows, Shoto began to explain his reasoning for throwing a snowball… at himself.
“I figured it’d only be fair for us to be equally cold.”
He was so unintentionally adorable.
Any laughter Izuku wanted to free stayed imprisoned by the overbearingly glacial air overflowing in his lungs. They’d been outside for at least thirty minutes, playing in the snow like children… Though it felt nice to abandon the responsibilities and heartaches that came with being an adult. Even if it was merely thirty minutes. They both cherished them. It was something they hadn’t done in years, due to the circumstances they were always under at UA; training, fighting, work studies, etc... They never had the chance to let loose and have puerile fun after their middle school years. Which was a long… while ago.
He walked over to Shoto dragging his feet in the ever so deep snow, suddenly weakly embracing him.
It was only six in the evening, but bright stars shone in the extremely dark sky due to the seasonal occurrence of DST. In the Winter it seemed to stay that way, brutally dark. Lucky for them, the Christmas lights the two hung a few days prior to today provided a decent amount of illumination. They danced on the snow, disguising certain patches as every color besides white.
Izuku faced the house, the lights now decorating his face. A mixture of festive green, red, blue, and white painted him, and Shoto’s back, entirely.
His mouth aligned with the pale boy’s ears.
“I'm so cold…”
He whispered breathlessly, appreciating Shoto’s bodily warmth. The feeling of his arms lightly tugging Izuku’s waist to pull him closer, his comforting and calming way of breathing accompanied by a little hum, to the way his heart gently beat against Izukus’. Every little sensation gave Izuku all the more reasons to find stupid excuses in hopes of getting this close to Shoto. Hugging him was like embracing sunshine. Despite the fact that Izuku still felt the snow’s frost attempting to freeze him completely, being so close to Shoto defrosted him enough. The only thing that possessed the power to truly bring him warmth in their wintry conditions.
“Do you wanna go inside? I’m cold too.”
“Yeah…In a sec.”
A moment of silence followed by a tight squeeze ended the intimacy they shared for a time that felt like forever.
“Yeah- let’s go, I literally can’t feel my legs.”
Izuku said smiling, abruptly breaking the silence.
Shoto mirrored that lighthearted expression, turning to lead the way inside.
“Jeez, it’s kinda chilly in here too.”
After removing their extra winter clothing, Shoto rushed to adjust the heat. Izuku hopped on the couch with two red weighted blankets. Awaiting Shoto’s reappearance. In the meantime, he found himself lost in thought. Is it odd to spend Christmas alone with a friend? The two of them were just crazy close, but still, people may get the wrong idea.
When really considering that, was Izuku really only worried about others getting the wrong idea? Or…
“Midoriya.”
“Yeah?”
He yelled in a casual tone from the living room, unaware of the huge complication Shoto discovered.
“I think— the heat is broken.”
“Are you kidding me?”
“No, Midoriya. I’m serious, the heats’ probably broken.”
A thousand how’s, what’s, and but’s raced through Izuku’s mind.
What should they do?
Should they just pack up and leave?
But the trees’ already set up, presents underneath, and everything is ready for tomorrow…
Where could they even go?
“Hey.”
A tender grip of his shoulder snapped him out of it. And of course, he had been thinking out loud again, rambling on and on.
“Sorry Todoroki… What do you think we should do?”
For a second, he pondered the question. What is the best option here?
“We should stay here. Like you said, everythings’ already set up. We can spend Christmas here, it’ll just be-- cold.”
That alone was enough to comfort and calm Izuku down again, maybe they’d survive these freezing conditions. The next step is to find out how.
“I could use my quirk.”
If Izuku owned a fireplace, that’d be an amazing idea. However, he didn't, and it’d be inconvenient for Shoto to stand there holding the flames up like the Statue of Liberty.
“Why don’t we build a fort!”
“What’s that?”
Shoto questioned. Resulting in Izukus’ astounded reaction. He knew Shoto’s upbringing was tough, but he really never built a fort?!
“We have to do it now!”
Shoto followed in Izuku’s footsteps, covering the couch in heavy blankets. First, they set two blankets on the ground underneath what would be the “roof” of their fort. Adding extra throw blankets for warmth. On top of those went pillows from the bedroom, one hundred percent chance of guaranteed comfort! Izuku also tossed his ipad there for movies or playing games.
Then came the hardest part…
Shoto carried the chairs into the living room while Izuku pinned the covers across them, creating the roof. Their “door” created by a sheet that overlapped the roof, falling to the floor. To open said door, it was essential the sheet be rapidly lifted or thrown over the roof.
The average person would be done, good thing Izuku wasn’t average.
He insisted Shoto go inside as he made some finishing touches. So that’s what he did, sitting alone in the dark, warm, quiet, fort.
That is, until dim multicolored lights shone through their thick sheeted roof. Along with the Christmas tree lights that lit up the fourth wall of their fort.
Upon crawling inside with a smile brighter than all the Christmas lights in the world, Izuku asked, “Do you like it? The lights- I mean do you like the fort too?”
“I love it.”
Shoto muttered, still intaking the environment they created, a calm inescapable smile spreading across his pretty face.
Now, they were dressed in matching Christmas PJ’s. Cliché, but tooth-rootingly sweet.
Plaid pants and slightly oversized long sleeve Rudolph shirts truly complimented the two of them.
Instead of watching a movie, they decided to listen to Christmas music and converse.
As the conversation progressed, Izuku wasn’t aware of it, but he continued to lean in, scooting closer to Shoto. Almost as if Shoto was magnetic. Luckily, Shoto didn’t pick up on this, somehow neither did Izuku.
Well… Thinking too soon is a flaw many possess.
“Midoriya, is there something on my face?”
He admired Shoto’s face for a moment, “No, I don't think so. Why?”
“Oh. You got closer, like you wanted to say something.”
“Huh- Oh- No, It's nothing, Todoroki!”
Since they had minimum light, the obvious flush on Izuku’s cheeks was unnoticeable. If Shoto didn't focus on his face too deeply.
Shoto dramatically threw his body backwards huffing in response.
“Todoroki- What’s wrong-?”
Izuku panicked, his words flowing out before he could give them permission. He grabbed Shoto’s arm, attempting to yank him up again only to clumsily fall forward, hovering over Shoto. A leg between Shoto’s’ and his other on the opposite side of said leg. The green-haired boy’s hands falling on either side of Shoto’s head.
Their faces inches apart.
Through frantic apologies and deep levels of embarrassment Izuku tried to pull himself away, only to be met with restraint. Shoto’s hands fell over his, sheepishly tugging Izuku’s’ down again. Forced to make eye contact with the prettiest guy he’s ever laid eyes on.
How awkward could that be?
Neither of them said a word, for just a few seconds they locked eyes, admiring each other’s features one by one. Izuku eventually noticed the red tint plastered along Shoto’s cheeks.
He was nervous?
“Todoroki…”
“I need to tell you how I feel. If you’ll hear me out?”
He nodded, allowing Shoto to continue.
“I’ve had these feelings— for you for a while now. I started to admire you after the sports festival, and I just- those feelings kept getting stronger…”
“…Are you saying you have a crush on me, Shoto?”
“What-? No I don’t want to crush you, I want to— kiss you.”
His sentences started to trail in timidly, eyes avoiding dreadful contact. He was hot enough as it was. The fort, blankets, embarrassment, and Izuku’s body heat didn’t make it any better. And Izuku had all the power to end that, to close that gap between them and open a new space.
One for romance.
“I… never thought you felt the same way about me.”
Although Shoto averted his eyes, Izuku continued to look into his, astounded by the shy Shoto beneath him.
“You really never knew how I felt? I thought I made it painfully obvious, Izuku. I share everything with you, music, food, combat skills, I spend most of my free time with you. I spend nights at your house all the time– I’m spending Christmas with you right now. I wanna do everything with you- I– want to be with you.”
Hearing his name roll off Shoto’s tongue was mesmeric. Izuku’s stomach filled with butterflies while blood rushed to his already rosy cheeks. His face was likely far redder than Shoto’s’.
This is the part where they’re supposed to kiss right?
Right.
Izuku lifted a hand to tilt Shoto’s head towards his once more, so that they maintained eye contact. It was pure torture. The connection through just their mutual gazes. No more than an inch kept their lips from touching. Both of them were nervous wrecks. Hearts beating out their chests. And they were beyond hot, hell they may just go back outside after this. (kidding it’s fucking freezing out there.)
Izuku’s breath fanned over Shoto’s lips. He'd been— they’d both been waiting so long for this moment.
“Shoto.”
“Yes?”
The sharp yet hushed breathless one word counter could apprise a thousand emotions. All of which Shoto felt for Izuku.
Finally, the kiss they might say they’d been waiting their whole lives for happened.
Izuku’s lips connected with his creating a hungry, passionate, well overdo kiss.
Shoto wraps his arms around Izuku this time, pulling him closer. Their hugs so much more connecting and fulfilling. Their impassioned open-mouth kisses deepening with every second. He wanted- needed to be as close as possible to the one he loves this Christmas.